NEW YORK (AP) — It has been 25 years since the body of Matthew Shepard was discovered in Laramie, Wyoming. “The Laramie Project” is a poignant mix of real news reports, and actors portraying friends, family, police officers, killers and other Laramie residents. “The Laramie Project,” one of the most frequently performed plays in high schools, has been performed in more than 20 countries and translated into more than 13 languages. “Precisely because it wasn’t about Matthew Shepard, precisely because it was about the town of Laramie is why it continues to resonate,” says Kaufman. Hate crimes all over our nation are at much higher rates than they were when Matthew Shepard was killed."

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Persons: Matthew Shepard, Moisés Kaufman, Kaufman, Shepard, ” Kaufman, “, ”, James Byrd Jr, Barack Obama, ___ Mark Kennedy Organizations: Laramie, University of Wyoming, Cardinal High School, Putnam, Lansing Board of Education Locations: Laramie , Wyoming, York, Laramie, America, Florida, Middlefield , Ohio, Kansas